You don’t have to have a green thumb to dig Longwood Gardens, one of the premiere botanical gardens in the country. This former DuPont estate in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania—a two-and-a-half-hour drive from DC—features more than 1,000 acres carpeted year-round with spectacular plantings.
Starting this Saturday, January 24, and running through Sunday, March 29, is Longwood’s annual Orchid Extravaganza, where nearly 5,000 orchids will bloom throughout the indoor, four-acre conservatory. The displays will include an oncidium “waterfall,” an “orchid meadow,” and all manner of floral arrangements to take the chill out of winter.
Admission to Longwood Gardens is $20 for adults, $17 for seniors ages 62 and up, and $10 for children ages 5 through 18 and for students of any age with a valid ID. Tickets are timed, and should be bought online before your visit.
If you want to make a weekend out of it, consider staying at the nearby Inn at Montchanin Village or Sweetwater Farm.
Sherri Dalphonse joined Washingtonian in 1986 as an editorial intern, and worked her way to the top of the masthead when she was named editor-in-chief in 2022. She oversees the magazine’s editorial staff, and guides the magazine’s stories and direction. She lives in DC.
